parc national de
la vanoise
department: savoie (73)
Region: RhÔne-alpes
The Vanoise National Park lies between the Tarentaise and Maurienne valleys in the French Alps, and was created in 1963; the first French national park. This park is in the département of Savoie.
The landscape is composed of several large zones (grasslands, heath and moorland, forests, etc.), known as "habitats", which differ depending on various ecological criteria (climate, nature of substrate, exposure, slope, etc.). Like all national parks, the Vanoise National Park has four main missions : to protect, promote knowledge, raise awareness and contribute to local development.
© All above images: Atout France/HervØ Le Gac
The park is well known for its population of Alpine ibex (Capra ibex), bouquetins in French. Other than Alpine ibex there are Chamois, Alpine Marmot, Eurasian Lynx, Mountain Hare and Stoat. Birds include Bearded Vulture, Golden Eagle and Black Grouse.
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getting there
The Park can be reached from the following towns :
to the south : Modane (access to the Maurienne area)
to the north : Bourg Saint Maurice (access to the Haute
Tarentaise area)
to the west : Moûtiers (access to the Tarentaise area)
The Italian border is located to the east, with 14 km of
border shared with the Italian Gran Paradiso National Park.
By train
3 of the Park's villages can be reached by train :
Bourg
Saint Maurice
Modane
Moûtiers
Buses then offer connections to the Park's other
villages.
By bus
There are regular bus services from Moûtiers, Modane and
Bourg Saint Maurice to almost all the Park's villages.
To book and consult regular and seasonal bus timetables :
www.transavoie.com
www.altibus.com
By car
The Alpine motorway, the A43, links Lyon to
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and Modane (Maurienne valley).
To reach the Tarentaise area : the A430 goes as far as Albertville.
By air
Annecy airport
From France:
0 826 800 826
From outside France:
00 33 4 26 007 007
www.annecy.aeroport.fr
Lyon Aeroport Saint-Exupery www.lyonaeroports.com